Sports
Scholastic Notebook – 06/03/2014
June 3, 2014
WPIAL baseball champions took it on the chin three times in the first round of the PIAA playoffs Monday. But history shows WPIAL champs often have trouble in the PIAA playoffs. Take a look at past years and the statistics say that WPIAL champs have only a slightly better than 25 percent chance of making it to a PIAA title game. The PIAA championships started with one class in 1977, expanded to two classes in 1979, three classes in 1999 and four classes in 2005. Since the PIAA playoffs started in 1977 and through last year, there were 96 WPIAL champs. Only 26 of those 96 teams (27 percent) made it to a PIAA title game.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 06/01/2014
June 1, 2014
With the spring district postseason now in the books, the focus switches to the spring high school sports state playoffs starting this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have First round and Quarterfinals action from the 2014 PIAA Baseball and Softball Playoffs as well as pro baseball with the Washington Wild Things and pro softball with the Pennsylvania Rebellion, plus the season finale of the WPIAL Baseball Show on a special night on Wednesday along with another edition of Rappin on Racin and The WPIAL Baseball Show...championship edition on a special night ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, June 2nd:2014 WPIAL BASEBALL PLAYOFFS RESULTS
May 30, 2014
There is no question that the District 7 baseball postseason was an historic one up and down each of the classifications. A #16 seed which is still a sub-500 team has walked away with another Quad-A title...a #10-seed shocked the work by first scoring, then beating one of the best pitchers in WPIAL history...a #3-seed captured diamond gold for the first time in school history and the only top-seed to win a championship this spring did so with a perfect record. Few will soon forget the efforts put forth in this postseason which led to baseball titles for Seneca Valley, West Allegheny, Steel Valley and California. Here are ALL of the results from the 2014 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs.2014 WPIAL SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS RESULTS
In the end, a pair of top-seeds won it all, a #2-seed claimed gold and the surprise of the postseason was a lucky #13-seed taking home gold in AAA. There were three new champs, a repeat in Class A, two first time champions and an undefeated team standing tall in the end. It was a soggy three weeks, but this springs softball district postseason is in the books with Shaler, Thomas Jefferson, Beaver and Neshannock wearing the golden crowns. Here are ALL of the results from the 2014 WPIAL Softball Playoffs. All games marked (MSA) after the score can be heard archived here on the MSA Sports Network. 2014 WPIAL CLASS AAAA SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:
Shaler Dethrones Canon-Mac For AAAA Softball Championship
No. 2 Shaler (17-3) turned it on late, erupting for four runs in the sixth inning and running away with a 9-5 victory over top-seeded Canon-McMillan (18-4) in the WPIAL AAAA Softball Championship on Thursday night at California University of Pennsylvania’s Lilley Field. The Titans, who claim their third WPIAL softball crown and first since 2005, were helped out in a major way by six costly errors by the Big Macs. “Chaotic,” said Shaler Center Fielder Haley Dengler. “Just so shocked. I knew we could do it, it was just us pulling through.” Until the sixth inning, it was a back-and-forth offensive battle, as both teams would cough up multi-run leads. The two squads, who both qualify for the PIAA Playoffs, combined for 14 runs, 18 hits and nine errors.
Thomas Jefferson Edges Mars For First WPIAL Softball Title
When the WPIAL released the Softball Pairings, they seeded Thomas Jefferson 13th. No one told the Jaguars, apparently. It took nine innings, but Thomas Jefferson (15-6) claimed their first WPIAL Softball Championship in school history, edging out a 5-3 victory over No. 11 Mars (12-5) on Thursday evening at California University of Pennsylvania’s Lilley Field. Kyla Prickett went 2 for 3 with a 2-run home run and three RBI for Thomas Jefferson, who advances to the PIAA Playoffs as the top seed from District 7. “It feels amazing,” said Prickett. “I can’t even explain how much heart we put into this entire season and coming out on top like this just feels unreal.”
West Allegheny Stuns All in Winning Class AAA Baseball Championship
The West Allegheny Indians claimed their fourth WPIAL baseball championship by knocking off the Blackhawk Cougars 5-3 in eight innings on Thursday night at Consol Energy Park. Mike Cummings singled home Tyler Amedure with the go-ahead run in the eighth inning. The Indians jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third, ending the scoreless innings streak for Blackhawk senior pitcher Brendan McKay. The streak ended at 71.2 innings, good for third in the National Federation of High School record book. Amedure doubled to the left center field gap to plate Colin Claus. It was the first run allowed by McKay since April 25th, 2013 against Central Valley. The Indians weren't done, as Cummings brought home Amedure with a single.
Sweet Sixteen Run Ends for Seneca Valley With 3rd Title in 4 Years
May 29, 2014
16-seeds are not supposed to be still playing in late May. Teams with overall records under .500b 20 game in are only supposed to see the district championship game if they purchase a ticket. Don't tell any of that to Seneca Valley. The Raiders bucked all odds by beating Baldwin 5-2 Thursday to win the schools third WPIAL Quad-A baseball title in the last four years.WPIAL Baseball and Consolation Recaps for Thursday, May 29th
While many eyes were on both CONSOL Energy Field for the baseball finals and California University of Pennsylvania for the softball championships, five spots in the upcoming PIAA state playoffs were up for grabs at W&J College Sports Complex and at West Mifflin High School. Here are recaps from those three baseball and two softball WPIAL consolation games. A special thanks to Pete Blais, Dennis Fischer, Greg Kuntz and Sean Meyers for their help on these recaps. BASEBALL: Class AAAA Consolation Game:
Neshannock Lances South Side To Repeat as Class A Softball Champs
Much like the entire regular season and playoffs, the rains came to Lilley Field at California University on Thursday afternoon, but after an 85 minute delay, the Neshannock Lancers exploded for four runs and claimed their second consecutive WPIAL Class A softball championship with a 8-5 victory over the South Side Rams. It’s the third championship in the last three years for Neshannock, the Lancers also claimed a PIAA Class AA title in 2012. The victory was also the third this season for Neshannock over South Side, the Lancers claimed both Section 4 meetings.
Perfection Reigns as California Defeats Carmichaels For Class A Baseball Crown
It took nearly 46 hours to complete, but in the end it was perfection that prevailed. California (20-0) became the sixth team in WPIAL history to win a WPIAL Championship and finish league play undefeated, running away with a 6-1 win over section rival Carmichaels (14-3) on Thursday at Consol Energy Park. The game, which was delayed on Tuesday night in the fourth inning after severe weather hit the Washington, PA area an again delayed Wednesday by more storms, was resumed at a 1-1 tie on Thursday afternoon.
Beaver Claims First Softball Gold in WPIAL AA Softball Championship
It was a dominant performance for Casey Farkasovsky when she needed it most. Beaver's sophomore starting pitcher shined bright on the big stage at California University as the Bobcats defeated the Deer Lakes Lancers 2-0 in the Class AA WPIAL Softball Championship. Both teams entered the game unbeaten and the matchup featured the top two seeds in the bracket. Farkasovsky shut down a Deer Lakes team that had seven hitters batting over .400 for the season. She held the Lancers to just three hits and fanned nine batters to go to 16-0 on the season with 129 strikeouts.2014 WPIAL Softball Championship Game Previews
May 28, 2014
The scene shifts to California University, the long-time home of the WPIAL Softball Championships on Thursday. Four championships will be decided, three of the four number 1 seeds in the tournament advanced to play for the gold medal. Here are previews of all the title bouts, all four games can be heard right here on the NETWORK: Class A Championship Game Neshannock Lancers (16-2) vs. South Side Rams (15-3) 11:30am on WBVP 1230-AM and the MSA Sports Network.
Steel Valley Rallies to Beat Seton-LaSalle for First WPIAL Baseball Title
May 27, 2014
It takes 21 outs to complete a 7 inning baseball game, but sometimes the final out is the hardest one to get. Seton-LaSalle came within 1 out of the WPIAL Class AA Championship at Consol Energy Park, but third seeded Steel Valley had other ideas, getting a game tying 2-run single from second baseman Bryce Varhola in the bottom of the seventh inning and an RBI base hit from designated hitter Jesse Cantley to complete the comeback with three runs to defeat the Rebels 6-5 to capture the school’s first ever WPIAL Baseball Championship.WPIAL Consolation Tuesday Baseball & Softball Recaps
Stormy weather played a part in what was scheduled to be six WPIAL consolation baseball and softball games on Tuesday. Two games were postponed, one was suspended and three did go final despite a delay or two. Here are summaries from the three District 7 consolation games that did make it into the books as finals. A special thanks to Pete Blais, Mark Schaas, Bob Gregg and Aaron Thompson for their help on these recaps. BASEBALL: WPIAL CLASS AA Consolation:
